Book Review: Calico Ball

I had an extremely busy weekend and didn't have a lot of time for reading, so I was glad to have the new Calico Ball: Timeless Western Collection of novellas at my fingertips! They are the perfect size for a busy mom who needs to squeeze in some great stories in a short amount of time.

I finished Carla Kelly's The Keeper of the Western Door and it was so good! I really enjoy her characterization and how the setting comes to life under her expert hand. Her story is about Mary Blue Eye who goes with her newly married friend to Fort Laramie, but ends up as more of her servant than a friend. She does meet a man, Sergeant Blade, who is sincere in wanting to smooth the way for Mary, as some people aren't as accepting of her Seneca Indian heritage as others. I love the easy friendship and conversation between these two and the slow burn of romance. The Calico ball that the ladies at the fort are planning was a sweet theme for the story and a wonderful background for the romance. I thought the ending was definitely sigh-worthy!

I just started Sarah Eden's, who, as you know, is one of my very favorite authors. I can hardly wait for the kids to go to bed so I can dive in! I'll let you know what I think.

You can get your copy here

Here's the back copy:

Three brand new Historical Western Romance novellas by Carla Kelly, Sarah M. Eden, and Kristin Holt.

THE KEEPER OF THE WESTERN DOOR by Carla Kelly
When Mary Blue Eye travels to Wyoming Territory with her friend to help her settle into her new married life at Fort Laramie, Mary is treated more like a servant than the friend she thought she was. Thankfully, she finds a new friend in Sergeant Blade, though Mary fears that her Seneca Indian heritage will keep a man like Blade from truly caring for her. Soon Mary is tasked with making fourteen calico dresses in two weeks, and Blade turns out to be the best ally she could ever ask for.

A CONVENIENT ARRANGEMENT by Sarah M. Eden
Patrick Quinn needs a wife. Hiring maids who leave within weeks to marry another fellow in a female-scarce Wyoming town hasn’t been helpful. Quinn needs a woman who will stay. When he writes to a mail-order bride service, and four-foot-eleven Mirabelle Smith shows up, they agree to each attend to their own duties and tasks. Their marriage will be a convenient arrangement for them both. But sometimes the heart has other ideas.

ISABELLA’S CALICO GROOM by Kristin Holt
Dr. Henry Merritt is desperate for dental patients, especially since Dr. Isabella Pattison arrived in the growing town of Evanston in the Wyoming Territory. It seems the female patients want a woman’s touch, and the male patients are quite fond of a pretty dentist. But if Henry doesn’t find a way to put Isabella out of business, his own practice will go under. When Isabella proposes that they team up together, and Henry gets to know her, he discovers the last thing he wants is for Isabella to leave.